Airi's Unexpected Partner! A Surprise Sister Act
Airi's Unexpected Partner! A Surprise Sister Act is the 43rd episode of Relaxing Chime Pretty Cure. Major Events * Metallic is finished off for good by the combined finishers of Cures Ocean Breeze and Rose Petals. Synopsis As the holidays approach, Airi's class is practicing for the Oshiro Ballet Academy's yearly production of The Nutcracker, with Airi slated to dance as Marie and Ikuto slated to dance as the Nutcracker Prince. While practicing the Prince's final duel with the Rat King, slated to be performed by Ryoshi, Ikuto suddenly collapses. Stunned, Ryoshi puts down his prop sword and asks if he's all right. Ikuto insists he's fine, but as he gets up he appears to be in pain. The academy physician sees that Ikuto has sprained his ankle, which will take him out for a couple of weeks, after the yearly performance. Having received a call from Airi shortly after the accident, Subaru shows up, saying that she came as soon as she'd heard what had happened. Airi updates her on the situation, adding that everyone else already has a role and that the production is now in disarray because of Ikuto's accident. Remembering that she too knows at least some ballet, Subaru steps up and volunteers to fill in for Ikuto over Bianca Oshiro's objections on the grounds that she's not a student. Airi convinces her to relent by pointing out how especially delicate the situation is. Madame Oshiro tells Subaru to show up for practice as soon as she can, and Subaru explains she's got karate classes every other day, for about an hour after school. This is just lucky for Madame Oshiro, because the weekday dance classes don't start until 5:30 PM. As Subaru leaves with Airi, Madame Oshiro tells her one other thing: the Prince isn't exactly a role intended for hobbyists, to which Subaru replies, "I practice every day when I get home; what could possibly go wrong?" Now in her karate uniform, Subaru goes through an extended dance practice session at home, with the intention of preparing herself for her role, while Atsuko and Kirara watch and wait for her to finish. After she finishes, Subaru explains that she's preparing for a new challenge: dancing in The Nutcracker (something Atsuko probably already knows about). Atsuko remarks that she never knew Subaru had it in her, and Kirara is especially floored from having witnessed first-hand her hidden talent as a ballet dancer. "Speaking of which," Subaru remarks, "you, Atsuko, are going to need to practice for your own role soon—one of the Spanish hot chocolate dancers, if I'm not mistaken." Atsuko doesn't deny it; she does, after all, fight as Cure Steam. The next day, after karate class is over, Subaru reports straight to the Oshiro Ballet Academy and changes into a tank top and jean shorts in the locker room before Airi has her try on a pair of ballet slippers, explaining that that's the pair she herself wears when she doesn't need her pointe shoes. Subaru admits that they're a little tight, and Airi tells her she'll get used to it. Tying her hair in a ponytail, Subaru steps out of the locker room and encounters Madame Oshiro, who complains that she's not wearing the academy's uniform. Subaru reminds her, "I'm not a student here, remember? You told me yourself yesterday." Afterwards, before the class begins with plies at the barre, Madame Oshiro introduces her to the class and explains she'll be learning with them for the next several days, as she'll be taking over the role of the Nutcracker Prince from Ikuto, who is wearing his ballet attire but sitting at a bench against the wall with a crutch next to him, the reason being that the prognosis from the injury he had suffered the day before precludes his ability to perform in the role as was originally planned. Subaru's guess is proven right following the center exercises and during the practice portion when she sees Atsuko practicing for her own role with another dancer and recognizes the music being played on the piano, remarking to Airi that she's played it herself from time to time. Trivia * The production of The Nutcracker being performed by Airi's dance class was choreographed by Yuri Grigorovich for the Bolshoi Ballet in 1966; the costumes are based on those featured in a videotaped performance broadcast on NBC in 1977. * Ikuto's foot injury during practice references how Ekaterina Maximova and Vladimir Vasiliev were replaced between acts during the aforementioned video production on account of Vasiliev suffering a foot injury towards the end of the first act. * Portions of the plot of this episode are inspired by the Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood story "Neighborhood Nutcracker".